The Detroit Pistons were getting throttled early against the Indiana Pacers last night and it looked as if the game might be over before the first quarter.
Then Malik Beasley entered the game and started to hit shots and before long Detroit had cut into Indiana’s lead and made a game of it.
Beasley finished with 20 points on 6-of-10 shooting from long range that kept the Pistons at least within shouting distance early in the game.
It has been a common theme this season, as Beasley has been one of the best shooters in the NBA, hitting over 40 percent of his 3-point shots and making more of them in total than all but one player in the league.
When the Pistons signed Beasley to a one-year deal late last offseason I didn’t think much of it other than, “ah, another expiring contract to trade at the deadline,” but that sentiment has changed to “how can we keep this guy?” after Beasley has been the best value in the NBA.
Malik Beasley: The NBA’s best value
When you look at players in Beasley’s salary range, they are mostly guys on rookie deals or back of the bench veterans who don’t see much action.
They aren’t guys averaging 16 points per game and 2nd in the NBA in 3-pointers made. Beasley isn’t a great defender, but you still won’t find a better value in the NBA than his $6 million deal.
But he’s not just a shooter, Beasley has been a huge part of the culture the Pistons are trying to build. He’s a leader on and off the floor and also a guy who does it by example, as he’s the first one to practice every day, showing the young players the type of dedication and work ethic required to have a long career in the NBA.
He’s been the perfect player in multiple ways, which begs the question of what is going to happen to him at the end of the season.
Will the Detroit Pistons re-sign Malik Beasley?
Beasley had some thoughts on the topic here that you can read for yourself, but regardless of his desires, it is going to be difficult for the Pistons to bring him back.
As a guy on a one-year deal, the Pistons can’t extend Beasley’s contract and will only own his non-Bird rights at the end of the season, which limits what they can offer him to 120% of his current salary.
That’s not going to be enough to keep him, as some team is almost certainly going to offer more than $7.2 million after the way he’s played this season.
That doesn’t mean the Pistons can’t bring him back and it will all depend on their salary cap situation, but if they want to make a big move elsewhere, it’s not going to be easy.
Enjoy Beasley while you can, as he may not even make it in Detroit through the trade deadline and it’s going to be challenging for him to return next season, though I hope they find a way to do it, as he’s been fun to watch and a big part of this team’s improvement.